2026 Issue #5

Why Taking Care of Yourself Helps You Take Care of Everyone Else

From: Nikki Leary I nikki@rootfornew.com

Hi Reader,

Last week, my entire family got hit with the flu.

And when I say hit, I mean absolutely taken out.

One by one, we went down — fevers climbing, bodies aching, brains foggy. There was a moment where the simple task of getting water to everyone felt like climbing Mount Everest… in pajamas.

What surprised me most was how quickly my own brain just stopped cooperating. I wanted to keep the household moving, but the brain fog was so intense I couldn’t string together a plan — let alone execute one.

So I did something I don’t always do very well...

I stopped. I took the day off. And I did nothing but rest.

No pushing. No powering through. Just sleep, fluids like Feel Better tea, and letting my body do what it needed to do.

Thank goodness I did — because the very next day, the rest of the family went down hard, and I was finally clear-headed enough to actually help.

It was such a clear reminder of something we know but often ignore:

You can’t take care of anyone else if you don’t take care of yourself first.

As we move into February, I keep thinking about how much emphasis we put on loving other people this time of year. Cards. Gifts. Dinners. Thoughtful gestures. 💌

But I honestly believe we owe ourselves something too.

Not another thing to fix - just a moment of gratitude for everything your body does for you. Your body:

• keeps moving you forward, even when the day doesn’t go as planned
• gets back up when you sit down, even if you don't do that often enough
• continues to support you — even when you’re frustrated or critical of it

We spend so much time focusing on what feels broken that we forget to thank what’s working.

February feels like the perfect time to practice a gentler kind of self-love — the kind that says, thank you for carrying me this far.

That’s exactly why I created the Wellness Tea Club.

For $29/a month, you receive:​
• 15 servings of medicinal-quality herbal tea made from flowers and herbs grown on my farm here in Central Wisconsin

• a guided meditation to help calm your nervous system and invite rest

• 10 percent off in my online tea shop

It’s not about doing more. It’s about creating space to breathe.

Whether you gift it to yourself or someone you love, February is a beautiful time to choose care that feels nourishing instead of demanding.

Your body does a lot for you. This is one small way to give something back.

Join the Tea Club

xo,

P.S. To my local Wisconsin friends, on February 10, I’ll be speaking at a Marshfield Christian Women luncheon about the healing power of teas. I’ll be joined by Marilyn Wolkowski from La Crosse, who will be sharing her powerful story, “Strengths in Weakness,” about navigating life with MS and walking through a broken marriage with faith and resilience. If you're in the area, join us for $20 which includes lunch!

📍 Remb’s Celebration Center​
205 S. Oak Avenue, Marshfield, WI 54449

If you missed a newsletter and want to catch up, click here to see my health blog and read old issues!

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